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Congress partly to blame for VA trouble

Step it up, Congress. Time we hold you accountable for the Veterans Affairs tragedies, too. The Senate has yet to confirm two of the VA secretary’s three assistant secretary positions. Now let’s add the confirmation of a new VA secretary to the backlog.

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OPINION

Congress partly to blame for VA trouble

IndyStar
Published 4:49 p.m. ET June 2, 2014

Speaker of the House John Boehner, R-Ohio, arrives to make a statement about the Veterans Affairs health care scandal and the resignation of VA Secretary Eric Shinseki, at the Capitol in Washington, Friday, May 30, 2014. A government investigation confirmed broad and deep-seated problems in the sprawling health care system which provides medical care to about 6.5 million veterans annually.
(Photo:
AP
)

Step it up, Congress. Time we hold you accountable for the Veterans Affairs tragedies, too.

The Senate has yet to confirm two of the VA secretary’s three assistant secretary positions. Now let’s add the confirmation of a new VA secretary to the backlog.

Linda Schwartz was nominated last summer by President Obama to be VA assistant secretary for policy and planning, and the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs voted unanimously on Schwartz’s appointment. Schwartz, a nurse and an Air Force veteran, is commissioner for veterans affairs in Connecticut.

Schwartz’s wait time is nothing compared to our veterans waiting for responsive and reasonable health care. But we can’t look to VA to lead without leaders either.

Schedule the confirmation votes, U.S. Senate, so the lights can be turned on in the VA vacant offices, treatment delays fixed, and veterans receive care they deserve.